1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an orthodontic instrument, and more particularly, to an orthodontic treatment tube.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, in dental terminology, a state in which a tooth is crooked or a set of teeth is uneven is referred to as “malocclusion,” and treatment for correcting the malocclusion is referred to as orthodontic treatment.
When teeth are in malocclusion, the face becomes distorted, chewing food becomes difficult, and air is leaked between teeth which can impede speech, causing various handicaps.
Accordingly, various orthodontic appliances are developed and used to correct the teeth, thus overcoming these handicaps. In general, a conventional orthodontic appliance includes a bracket having a pair of fixing wings disposed at both sides thereof, a correcting wire, and a fastening tie.
The orthodontic appliance using the bracket is mounted and used for several months to several years.
However, among orthodontic patients, when the orthodontic appliance having the bracket cannot be easily applied or partial orthodontic treatment is needed, orthodontic therapy using a small hollow tube is used.
Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C, the orthodontic therapy using a conventional tube is performed in a sequence of tube cutting S1, tube bonding S2, and wire insertion S3.
In the tube cutting S1, a small hollow tube 1 having an inner diameter of 0.4 to 0.6 mm is cut into a predetermined length to manufacture a tube 2 used for tooth correction.
In the tube bonding S2, the tubes 2 are adhered to teeth 3 to be orthodontically treated using an adhesive 4.
In the wire insertion S3, after inserting a wire 5 into the tubes 2 adhered to the teeth 3, both ends of the inserted wire 5 are bent to perform orthodontic treatment using the tubes 2.
However, the orthodontic therapy using the conventional tube 2 has the following problems.
First, when the tube 2 is adhered to the tooth 3, as the adhesive 4 flows into the tube 2 through both side holes of the tube 2 and hardens, it is difficult or impossible to insert the wire 5 into the tube 2. In particular, in order to avoid this problem, when a small amount of adhesive 4 is applied to the tube 2, the tube 2 may be easily separated from the tooth 3 due to reduction in adhesive strength.
Second, the adhesive 4 is applied at a center of an outer circumference of the tube 2 in a convex shape, rather than evenly applied to the entire outer circumference, degrading the appearance.
Third, in the case of the tooth 3 having an uneven surface, the tube 2 must be adhered to the tooth surface while adjusting a height of the tube 2 with respect to the tooth surface. However, since the height of the tube 2 cannot be separately adjusted, an operator has to adjust an attachment height of the tube by adjusting an amount of the adhesive 4. In practice, it is difficult for the operator to adjust the amount of the adhesive 4 and thus the attachment height of the tube 3 to a desired level.
Fourth, when the tube 2 is separated from the tooth 3, the operator picks up the center of the tube 2 and grips both sides of the tube 2 with an appropriate force using a tool such as pliers, and shakes the tube 2 adhered to the tooth 2 to separate the tube 2 from the tooth 3. However, since the conventional tube 2 is small, it is difficult to grip both sides of the tube 2 to apply the appropriate force.
Fifth, since the conventional tube 2 is small, when an adhesion direction of the tube 2 deviates while the tube 2 is being attached to the tooth surface to perform orthodontic treatment, it is difficult for the operator to check deviation in the adhesion direction of the tube 2. As a result, deviation of the entire arrangement of the tubes 2 for orthodontic treatment causes a troublesome correction operation.
Sixth, when a dental cast tray is used to attach the conventional tube 2 to the tooth surface through an indirect attachment method, in order to increase adhesion strength of the tube 2 disposed on the dental cast tray, sandblasting is performed on a surface of the tube 2. At this time, the tube 2 may be easily separated from the dental cast tray.